Psychological well-being status among medical and dental students in Makkah, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVES: Medical and dental students experience poor psychological well-being relative to their peers. This study aimed to assess the psychological well-being among medical and dental students in Saudi Arabia, identify the high-risk groups and assess the association between the psychological well-being and the academic performance. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 422 preclinical medical and dental students at Umm Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia, were recruited to assess their depression, anxiety, stress, self-efficacy and satisfaction with life levels using 21-items Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Students' academic weighted grades were obtained later. Descriptive statistics and univariate general linear model were used to analyse data. RESULTS: High levels of depression (69.9%), anxiety (66.4%) and stress (70.9%) were indicated, whereas self-efficacy (mean = 27.22, sd = 4.85) and life satisfaction (mean = 23.60, sd = 6.37) were within the normal range. Female medical students had higher psychological distress in contrast to dental students. In general, third-year students were more depressed and stressed in comparison with second-year students, except for stress among dental students. Moreover, all females had higher self-efficacy than males. Life satisfaction was higher within the second-year and high family income students. Depression was the only psychological variable correlated with the academic performance. CONCLUSION: High levels of psychological distress were found. Female medical students had higher psychological distress than males, whereas male dental students had higher distress than female. Medical students at third year were more depressed and stressed. Dental students were more depressed in the third year, but more stressed in the second year. Attention should be directed towards reducing the alarming levels of depression, anxiety and stress among medical and dental students.
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Both included randomized controlled trials focused on medical students.
“Both studies, designed as randomized controlled trials, focused on medical students.”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
The Methods section (page not provided) explicitly calls this a cross-sectional study of medical and dental students, not a randomized controlled trial. It therefore contradicts the claim about the design and does not support describing its participants as medical students alone. (LLM, conf=0.93)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredOther studies reported non-significant effects on GPA [9] and exam scores [14].
“Other studies reported non–significant effects on GPA [9] and exam scores [14].”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
The Discussion reports that stress was not significantly related to academic performance, which the study measured using first-term weighted grades. The Discussion explicitly says GPA was not used, and the Methods describe weighted grades rather than exam scores. Our copy therefore supports a non-significant finding for academic performance, but not for either specific outcome named in the citing sentence; the supplied text does not establish whether this paper is reference [9] or [14]. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAboalshamat et al. [9] adopted a broader approach, focusing on psychological well-being and academic performance.
“Aboalshamat et al. [9] adopted a broader approach, focusing on psychological well–being and academic performance.”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
Aboalshamat et al. [9] targeted both medical and dental students.
“Aboalshamat et al. [9] targeted both medical and dental students”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
Aboalshamat et al. [9] had a JBI quality score of 10/13.
“Aboalshamat et al. [9], with a JBI quality score of 10/13”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
In study [9], academic performance was not significantly different at any time point.
“Academic Performance ns all time points”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
The Discussion (page unavailable) says academic performance was measured using first-term grades only, and the Methods describe no repeated time-point comparisons. Table 3 reports significant associations of weighted grades with gender, faculty and depression, but it does not test whether academic performance differed at any time point. The claimed time-point result cannot be verified from this paper. (LLM, conf=0.74)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAboalshamat et al. [9] compared a self-development coaching program called 'How to Be an Ultra Super Student' (HBUSS) with a traditional lecture-style program known as 'Learning and Success in Health Faculties' (LSHF).
“Aboalshamat et al. [9] compared a self–development coaching program called “How to Be an Ultra Super Student” (HBUSS) with a traditional lecture–style program known as “Learning and Success in Health Faculties” (LSHF).”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
The Methods describe a cross-sectional questionnaire study, not a comparison of coaching and lecture programs. The Discussion mentions courses tested in a separate Aboalshamat et al. (2013) study, but our copy does not name HBUSS or LSHF or describe a comparison between them. Searches for both program names found no matching passage; page numbers were not available. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAboalshamat et al. [9] concluded that the self-development coaching program positively impacted depression and anxiety but did not significantly affect other measured outcomes.
“Aboalshamat et al. [9] concluded that the self–development coaching program positively impacted depression and anxiety but did not significantly affect other measured outcomes.”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
The Methods (page unavailable) describe a cross-sectional survey, not an evaluation of a coaching program. The Discussion (page unavailable) recommends courses tested in another study but does not report their effects. Searches for self-development coaching and intervention outcomes found no passage supporting the claimed pattern of significant and nonsignificant effects. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPositive outcomes included reductions in depression [9], anxiety [9], stress [17], and promoting lifestyle balance [19], alongside enhancements in resilience and self-efficacy for managing stress [13].
“Positive outcomes included reductions in depression [9], anxiety [9], stress [17], and promoting lifestyle balance [19], alongside enhancements in resilience and self–efficacy for managing stress [13].”
From Exploring the impact of academic coaching interventions on student outcomes in graduate healthcare and medical education: a systematic scoping review. (2025) · cites this paper as [9]
The [17] citation is attached to reductions in stress. The Practice points report high stress levels among preclinical students, but do not report a reduction; a search for stress-reduction outcomes found none in our copy. The cross-sectional findings do not establish the outcome attributed to this source. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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References 57 · Cited by 180
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- [30]30. Jurkat H, Ho ¨fer S, Richter L, Cramer M, Vetter A. 2011. Quality of life, stress management and healthpromotion in medical and dental students. A comparative study. Duet Med Wochenschr 136(23):1245-1250.
- [32]32. Mane Abhay B, Krishnakumar M, Niranjan Paul C, Hiremath Shashidhar G, Mane AB. 2011. Differences in perceived stress and its correlates among students in professional courses. J Clin Diagnostic Res 5(6):1228-1233.
- Authors
- Aboalshamat, K., Hou, X.-Y., & Strodl, E.
- Affiliations
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Aboalshamat, Khalid
- Venue
- Medical Teacher
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-02-04
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- sup1
- Pages
- S75-S81
- ISSN
- 0142-159X (ISSN-L)
- 1466-187X
- OpenAlex
- W1993258599
- Cited by
- 180
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 14.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Medical Teacher (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Faculty of Health; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation
- Funders
- Queensland University of Technology
- Umm Al-Qura University
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Keywords
- psychological well-being, medical students, dental students, depression, anxiety, stress, self-efficacy, life satisfaction, academic performance, gender differences, year of study, household income, preclinical medical students, Mecca
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Personal Satisfaction, Quality of Life, Risk Factors, Saudi Arabia, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress, Psychological, Students, Dental, Students, Medical, Self Efficacy, Young Adult
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